Toronto based rock group, Wine Lips, just released their self-titled EP full of smashing, high energy garage rock numbers. The EP is a burst of 4 lively tracks with quick tempos, gritty guitars, and powerful vocals.

The first track off of the EP, “Slaves” begins with a brief ambient intro before quickly exploding into an unbelievably energetic opening riff that captures the listener’s attention and refuses to let it go. The short track isn’t even two minutes long, but it’s still quite the journey. This song is a burst of in-your-face energy, and urges the listener to fully embrace the chaotic nature of Wine Lips’ unique type of rock.

“Out of Control” takes it a bit slower, with a moderately paced intro that establishes itself as the recurring theme throughout the track. While the song is highly repetitive, it remains interesting with edgy, yet expressive vocals that guide the listener through the music. Marked accents on the off beats of every chorus and the introduction of new themes tie it all together to further draw the listener in. A short instrumental interlude before the final repetition of the chorus features a subtle bass line underneath a psychedelic guitar solo, then picks it back up to the original theme of the music.

The EP moves into “Dead Beat,” which similarly to “Slaves” is a quick burst of excitement. With its fast-paced guitar solos between the verses, unrelenting high tempos, and shouted vocals this number is reminiscent of the essence of classic punk rock and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at their next live show.

The final track, “The Shakes” ends the EP on a high note with its catchy chorus and upbeat rhythms. Opening with a funky bass line, the song quickly builds into the verse which establishes the lively theme of the song right away. Keeping up the repetitive nature of the rest of the EP, the song subtly introduces brief solos and overtones that naturally fit into the music, and display Wine Lips’ creativity with their musicality. Another one that is sure to be a crowd pleaser, this song will easily get you singing along and dancing like a maniac.

Falling in love and falling apart, faced with the loss of loved ones and struggling not to lose themselves, the 11 songs on this record are openly rooted in turmoil and confusion. Written in two halves (the first six tracks penned by Jake Ewald and the last five by Brendan Lukens), the album is a tempestuous storm of very real emotion, with the music as a means of expression for everything that couldn't quite be said any other way.

Frustration and desperation take hold on "Note To Self". "Words just whining, every fucking day. What do I really want to say?" Jake screams, reaching out for the right means to pour his thoughts and meanings into a connection. "I wanna make something good, I wanna make something better, something that cannot leave the ground unless we lift it up together," he sings. Well, it looks like all the wanting has paid off, because that's exactly what this album is.

A whirlwind of insecurities and wonder, Holy Ghost is the sound of four people coming to terms with who and where they are in the often overwhelming world that surrounds them. "I'm not the same as I was" Brendan shouts on "Breathing In Stereo", grasping to find his place amidst chaotically pounding rhythms and distorted refrains. The ideals are fractured and confused, the influences scattered, but working together the four-piece have made a record that can leave even the sternest of hearts soaring.

The shiver-inducing, stripped-back set up of the opening track is made all the more potent in its contrast to the rest of the record, but the hauntingly raw intensity of "Holy Ghost" is an energy that surges strongly throughout. With no holds barred, the band lay all their worries and hopes bare, and invite the listener to do the same. Adjusting to the distressing nature of the events that surround them behind a mask of upbeat melodies on "Wedding Singer", yearning for the romance of home on "Mass", and clamoring for self-acceptance on "What If...", it hasn't been an easy journey for the Philadelphia quartet, but their spirit remains resolute.

"I don't know how I got here" Brendan admits on the album's anthemic closing track "Just Another Face". "Even if you can’t see it now, we’re proud of what’s to come," is as poignant and hopeful as a band chant can be, but it's his additional "and you" that really hits home. For any moment ever spent feeling lost, Holy Ghost rages with the instinct to survive. Mixed up, muddled up, and as unsure of anything as the rest of the world, Modern Baseball have found strength giving a voice to their disillusionment. With the daring demonstrated here, they'll be singing their spirits sounds for a long time to come.

Philly rock ‘n’ rollers Justin Pittney, Mike Cammarata, and Kyle Garvey (a.k.a. Residuels) revamp essential garage cuts on their latest release Love Songs. Available now via Suicide Bong Tapes, the three-piece’s cassette kick-starts with a full-throttle rendition of Rich Berry’s “Have Love, Will Travel.” The power trio’s frenetic take on the song that put bands like Thee Headcoatees and Paul Revere & the Raiders on the map is far from derivative. From the very first lick of guitar, Pittney and his bandmates tap into the original fury at the center of “Have Love Will Travel,” using crashing riffs and uninhibited vocals reminiscent of The Gories.

Residuels’ take on The Damned’s debut single “New Rose” is similarly inventive, giving listeners an unadulterated taste of the original song’s rhythm and fuzz. Pittney channels Dave Vanian with ease, mimicking the legendary Londoner’s punk-as-fuck diction as if he wrote the track himself. Clocking in at a few seconds shy of three minutes, the second track on Love Songs is arguably one of the best renditions of the ‘76 single.

The same could be said for “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” Opening with a guttural scream, the group’s tribute to psych-rock icons The 13th Floor Elevators is perfectly executed, with each chord and clash of cymbal adding to the instrumented intensity of the already well-loved garage classic. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” feels like a stubborn tantrum, the sonic manifestation of the sort of longing that is borne of desperation and pure desire that is mirrored in the album’s closer “It Girl.” Residuels’ jangly styling of one the most lovelorn (and heart-wrenching) tracks on The Brian Jonestown Massacre's fifth LP is equally captivating, despite being one of Love Song’s quietest tracks, leaving listeners smitten. For die-hard fans of garage rock and newcomers alike, Love Songs doesn’t just pay homage to the genre’s past; it celebrates its vibrant present. - Dianca London

Though they are fast approaching the release of their debut EP, Pale Spectre should not be considered rookies. The band’s lead vocalist/guitarist, Aaron Hammerly, has long been a fan in the Minneapolis scene, with his dad taking him to shows at First Avenue before his 18th birthday, but only in the past year or so has he made the switch over from fan to performer. Privately, he’s been perfecting that shimmery guitar sound for years — and today, the group celebrate their first release with a show at the Triple Rock featuring other locals Waveless, Gloss, and the Chambermaids.

Pale Spectre includes some veterans of the scene. Gloss’s Jeff Cornell plays fret/fretless bass and Gunnar Kauth, formerly of Frankie Teardrop, is on drums; Patrick Donohoe of CLAPS and Principality is on synthesizers and Sean Neppl, also of Gloss, handles electric guitar. Hammerly met Cornell at Augsburg College, and the two began writing music and playing together with no particular end goal. However, the support and encouragement Hammerly found from Cornell and his future bandmates helped push the band from bedroom project to physical release.

I met with Hammerly on a breezy Wednesday afternoon at a nondescript but hip coffee shop. Hammerly, who is almost ready to graduate from college with a sociology major, and I discussed the nuances of the the local Twin Cities scene. While Hammerly may be slightly uncomfortable with the social currency he’s rapidly gaining here, he also admits he has found a home in the scene and among the supportive musicians he’s surrounded himself with.

“We wanted to make music and we don’t care about the social side,” he said, maintaining that the group’s mutual love of making music — and not a need for attention — is what’s driving the project.

Pale Spectre’s influences are readily apparent in their aesthetic as well as their material. When I first saw them perform live, someone asked me how long Hammerly had been in Echo & the Bunnymen before Pale Spectre. Hammerly agreed that Pale Spectre’s sound reflects the artists they admire: “we would want to open for the bands we like,” he said, bands like the Smiths (in an alternate universe where they’re still together) and the Cure.

The group does hopes to move forward from the post-punk sound of the ’80s with their next release. Hammerly lists a long list of androgynous visionaries such as David Sylvian, Annie Lennox, Boy George, and Morrissey as artists he respects not only for the musical contributions but also for their abilities to push the envelope and blur the line in regards to gender performance.

The first song on Principles & Faculties, “Bodies of Fate,” immediately hits with the familiar urgency of post-punk, but with self-confrontational lyrics and a punk edge, it’s quickly apparent that Pale Spectre isn’t just another quick ’80s rip-off. Their debut is the product of picking out the very best of a decade — dreamy synths, frantic basslines, and an overall sense of melancholy — and mixing and injecting the elements with the tastes of kids who have watched their parent’s vinyl collections grow both out and back into fashion over the course of the volatile aughts.(blog.thecurrent.org)

Recorded over a long span and in two different continents, Brooklyn and Australia, Free Time's second album, In Search of Free Time, betrays none of the lack of focus one might expect from a fractured process. Although the first half was made with Jarvis Taveniere and the second half with a band including guys from Twerps, Totally Mild, and Terrible Truths, the record is a tightly focused blast of jangle pop that's just as impressive as their debut. Dion Nania's songs are a little hookier this time out, slightly sharper, and with the guitars jangling more and the lead lines slashing more. His voice sounds a bit more assured, too, cutting through the guitars in restrained, everyman fashion and getting a little sassy now and then (like on the album highlight "Genius of the Revolution") The overall mix is nice too, with everything blended just right without a huge reliance on effects and the occasional keyboard to add some dimension to the sound. To go with the bouncy, mostly brief indie pop tunes, they also take a long, winding trip out past the nine-minute mark on the epic "5th Floor," which adds horns to the mix and builds and builds to a noisy, crashing climax. It may be the only real surprise on the record, but the band isn't out to do anything radical. Their relaxed charms and gentle quirks make for easy listening, and Nania's songs and persona are very comfortable, all of which means that like the band's debut In Search of Free Time is a very enjoyable listen.(allmusic.com)

Trying to break out and be noticed in a music scene is never easy, especially if that city is Brooklyn, whose scene is so dense that it is nearly impossible. Journalism’s first LP, Faces, deals with this topic and does so rather well.

Journalism started in 2012 when frontman Kegan Zema and former bassist Owen Keiter met at New York University. Since the forming it has produced one EP, released in 2014, and has become a prominent figure in its hometown of Brooklyn. Now with the release of its first album, they are trying to break out of its local scene.

Faces maintains the band’s jangly guitar sound that was present on its EP, 1324. In the two years since that EP, the band has clearly grown and has adopted more distortion into its sound. It is the product of a band that has worked its ass off since the beginning.

“Faces I” kick starts the album with its pulsing drum beat and bass riff. A reverb drenched guitar lick is then heard which transforms into an epic post-punk jam, akin to that of Public Image Ltd. The song is confident and is a perfect of example of how Journalism has grown since its first EP.

Journalism shows off its indie influences with “Everywhere I Look” which begins with traces of Johnny Marr-style guitar peppered throughout.

For all its post-punk glory, Faces definitely has some roots in surf rock, with the guitar palm muting on “Faces II” and catchy ‘60s riff in “Watching & Waiting.”

“Naked,” the final track on the album, is built around a catchy guitar lick and lush, layered vocals. It is by far the most sullen track on the album (apart from the thrashy guitar, bass and drum parts near the end).

Each track on this album is energetic and unique. The themes of self-doubt are truly distinct. For a first album, Faces is remarkable. (Spillmagazine.com)